Japan National Tourism Organization, Essay Example

Tokyo is the largest city in Asia.  Its population is 13.2 million people, as of 2012 (TMG 2015).  At this amount, Tokyo is the most densely populated city in Japan.  The high population and the complexity of Tokyo has created the need for those who organize the city to do so with efficiency and clarity.  This is due to the need to cater to a growing, and aging population.  The Japanese rail system demonstrates an important technological achievement in this regard.  Through the application of engineering techniques and systematic responses to various important issues, Tokyo has led to the development of various important ecological and technological creations I order to deal with these challenges in more adaptive and responsive ways.

The location of Tokyo along the coastline provides them with a large amount of water sources.  The major bodies of water that are present within Tokyo are Lake Okutama, the Arakawa River, Tokyo Bay, the Sumida-gawa River, and the Tama-Gawa river.  Lake Okutama is actually an artificial lake that was created by the damming of the Tama-Gawa (JNTO).  The Tokyo Bay is located throughout Tokyo and other areas and is a part of the Pacific Ocean.  This provides the city with a variety of sources for water.  The lakes also provide important natural parks and tourist destinations that serve to enhance the natural beauty of the city.  Many of these areas also contain Japanese shrines that are important to their religious and historical ideologies.  These waterways are, therefore, vital to Tokyo not only for the resources that they provide but also in their preservation of natural and historical landmarks.

The Greater Tokyo Area consists mainly of the Historic Tokyo City Limits, a small area at the heart of the Tokyo Metropolis, which is the present day urban core of the city.  Most people live in the surrounding prefectures of this area, which house many of the suburbs.  Tokyo is located in the Tokyo Bay, in the Southeast of Japan.  The fact that Tokyo is actually a large conglomeration of multiple municipalities makes it regarded as more of a prefecture than a city.  However, it is regarded as both, which is a unique feature of Tokyo.  Most of Tokyo lies on the mainland and stretches westwards from the Tokyo Bay.  There are also several smaller islands that are considered a part of the city.  The government is, therefore, comprised of various smaller political entities that are spread out across this large area.

The most important mode of transportation in Tokyo is their high-speed railway system.  This consists of both above ground railways and an underground subway system.  Tokyo’s railway systems are considered to be “the fastest and the most convenient way to travel around the city” (EXPATS 2015).  This provides an important relief to their highly dense population ratio.  The existence of the railways provides modes of transportation that free it from much of the traffic issues that it could otherwise suffer.  The high speed rail system is connected to surrounding areas as well as Tokyo.  Many who do not get around by rail will use bicycles for transport instead.  This is further promoted by the existence of “Free or inexpensive bicycle parking areas” (EXPATS 2015).  This provides further opportunities for the highly populated city to ease the congestion on its narrow streets.

Works Cited

“Lake Okutama-ko.” Japan National Tourism Organization. Web. 2015. Retrieved From http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/natuscen/okutamako.html.

“Rail Travel in Tokyo & Yokohama.” The Expat’s Guide to Japan. Web. 2015. Retrieved From http://expatsguide.jp/travel-transportation/innercity-travel/rail-travel-in-tokyoyokohama/.

“Riding a Bicycle in Japan.” The Expat’s Guide to Japan. Web. 2015. Retrieved From http://expatsguide.jp/travel-transportation/on-the-road/riding-a-bicycle/.

“The Structure of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.” Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Web. 2015. Retrieved From http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/English/About/Structure/structure04.htm.

“Tokyo’s History, Geography, and Population.” Tokyo Metropolitan Government. 2015. Retrieved From http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/English/About/History/history03.htm.